Apple’s iOS 26 Public Beta launched July 24, 2025, with a stunning new design known as “Liquid Glass.” This release is the most significant iPhone overhaul since the iOS 7 launch in 2013. This was introduced earlier in the year at WWDC 2025 on June 9, and combined a translucent, flowing interface with an emphasis on productivity using Artificial Intelligence or Apple Intelligence. This type of interface also fundamentally changed how users uniquely use, manage tasks, work, and are organized.
Here I will look at the iOS 26 Public Beta and address important questions so you can better understand the productivity aspects and determine if testing it now is right you.
Why is Liquid Glass a Productivity Enhancer?
The introduction of Liquid Glass into iOS 26 Public Beta helps to drive productivity enhancement through its flowing glass interface. Every app icon, menu and widget has a layer of glass, which is dynamic and reacts to your content, simultaneously stripping away clutter while directing your focus on individual tasks. For example, the Notes app uses this design to support and active sections of the working notes via subtle movement; which helps create an easy path to note or ideas. Alan Dye, Apple’s Vice President of Human Interface Design, said it is “a design approach that clears a path to focus while sparking efficiency.”
At the same time, Apple made clear they were addressing the initial concerns raised in beta around the level of transparency. In beta 4, they also enhanced the solution with regards to ensuring legible text and controls. The Control Center incorporates translucent tiles that can resize depending on the frequency of usage. The Control Center prioritizes maximum usage first. Are you ready to increase your productivity using this fluid, task-intended design?
How to Install the iOS 26 Public Beta?
While joining the iOS 26 Public Beta is simple, you should consider preparing for it. First, back up your iPhone to iCloud or computer so you do not lose any important information (betas will often have unstable software). Then, visit beta.apple.com and join the Apple Beta Software Program using your Apple ID. On the iPhone navigate to Settings > General > Software Update > Beta Updates and select the iOS 26 Public Beta if you have an iPhone 11 or later (also including the iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations)).
But, remember betas can have bugs, so consider testing on a secondary device. You can also report issues that you find in the Feedback app, to potentially help Apple improve its productivity features by Fall of 2025 (the expected release of iOS 26). By testing through your work you help influence a more effective version of iOS when it is ready to roll out. Have you signed up and backed up your device, or are you holding out until it is stable?
What Productivity Features Can We Expect from iOS 26?
iOS 26 Public Beta brings many tools to help manage and streamline your worklife. The Notes app added both call recording and call transcription, allowing you to quickly save your dialogue in a searchable format - perfect for meetings! The Shortcuts app will now give you AI-related suggestions for automations by reminding you of your behaviors. You can expect to receive suggestions about intelligent automations, even a reminder to schedule a set time for things that you do frequently, like managing your calendar and reminders.
The Reminders app has also integrated with Calendar app to have your tasks visible directly from your calendar for real time daily planning.
The Settings app now features a color coded section of battery analytics to help you optimize your consumption for productive use. Each day you can see how much you used (orange for excessive), or how much time you spent using your typical day-to-day app usage (blue).
The Files app has added project-based tagging so your projects and documents can be retrieved without delay.
In what way does Apple Intelligence improve productivity?
Apple Intelligence drives so many productivity based tools in iOS 26 Public Beta that make doing tasks more intellgent and faster. For example, Visual Intelligence scans content in a screen and can extract the useful actionable data from that screen, such as turning a flyer from a corporate meeting into a Calendar event. Live Translation crop text in Messages and Phone transcripts over the phone while translating the transcript call in real time, which ultimately helps with global collaboration, gives global collaboration a definite advantage, but all may delay slightly. The Image Playground app creates visual aids from text prompts, which is ideal for creating presentations.
Also, Notification Summaries were reintroduced in beta 4 that put all of the alerts from apps into a summary, so instead of notification alerts from an app you receive, “Five new tasks added to Reminders.” Apple describes Notification Summaries and advises users to verify that the information contained in the summaries are accurate. These intelligence products that are available on iPhone 16, iPhone 15 Pro devices in the supported languages, will help to trim the work down. How will these AI enhancements improve your productivity?
How Does iOS 26 Deliver Productivity Throughout the Apple Ecosystem?
The iOS 26 Public Beta connects its Liquid Glass design and productivity tools to iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26, creating effortless workflows. For example, if you use the Files app and tag a project, the tags will be reflected on your iPad or Mac, so you can pick up all of the project documents as you're working. CarPlay's translucent interface allows for priority access for Calendar and Reminders, so you can stay organized while driving.
Additionally, the Notes app's transcription capability, also works on iPad and Mac, contributing to the connection between all the note taking experiences. Safari's Reader Mode creates a distraction-free presentation, now with adjustable fonts for reading, and all your preferences will sync across devices. From these updates, productivity will be consistently applied throughout your Apple ecosystem. Excited to keep your tasks streamlined across devices?
Should You Install the iOS 26 Public Beta for Productivity
Whether you should download the iOS 26 Public Beta comes down to whether you need productivity tools versus stability. With that being said, this beta gives you an early look at Liquid Glass and features like AI-powered Shortcuts and it could allow you to optimize your workflows when Apple officially releases iOS 26 in September of 2025.
There have been posts on X that say the beta improves productivity, although sometimes with bugs. For instance, there were posts that said the Notes app had some lag on the iPhone 15 Pro Max while in its beta state. It should be noted that the public beta is likely to be as stable as the developer beta, although, performance issues may still exist.
On the flip side, you can run the beta and provide feedback directly to Apple using the Feedback app, which could improve the final release. If you use your iPhone for work, using the stable version of iOS might be a safer bet. Will you test these productivity tools now, or is reliability more important?
What Are the Risks and Benefits of Testing iOS 26 Beta?
Beta Testing iOS 26 Public Beta provides valuable benefits to you. Developers will be able to be more productive with approaches that increase call transcription, tagging to organize projects, and task suggestion based on AI auto-suggestions which personalize your iPhone to your productivity style. Plus, Apple values feedback and notes the beta tester is part of the development journey. Apple launched Liquid Glass. The adaptive user interface with minimal content provides a focused experience to enhance productivity.
The drawbacks are obviously bugs in the software including app crashing and battery drain (which can definitely restrict productivity). Data loss and/or damage is a risk (depending on which beta you download), so unless you have an iCloud backup it is possible you could lose some or all of your data. Some features - such as Apple's Intelligence taps into the newest products (you would need iPhone 16) and would be dependent on your phone's language and you would no longer be able to use certain affiliate language apps. You should weigh the overall reliance on your iPhone inside of learning how to use it more productively - is early access the benefit or is there a risk?
How Does iOS 26 Expand Apple’s Productivity Endeavour?
The iOS 26 Public Beta ushers in capabilities that far exceed those of previous releases such as iOS 7, which introduced a flat design in 2013, with an emphasis on productivity with Liquid Glass’s translucent, task-oriented layout. While iOS’s visual design orientation was shifting with iOS 7, which can be appreciated for its removal of clutter, iOS 26 comes with AI built-in, as well as customizable tools, such as reorderable Camera controls to maximize performance. The existing legacy layouts and hierarchy for apps like Notes and others will make the evolution easy.
Also, with the unified 2025-2026 naming convention, we as users have a predictability, sometimes called an 'onboarding' experience, when tracking version numbers across Apple’s platforms. The beta process was iterative and taken general feedback and adjustments centered around transparency into account, while maintaining a polished product experience. Would iOS 26 be a whim at redefining productivity in the coming decade?
Frequently Asked Questions About iOS 26 Public Beta
Q: Which iPhones support the iOS 26 Public Beta?
A: It supports iPhone 11 and later, including iPhone SE (2nd and 3rd generations). Check compatibility in Settings > General > About.
Q: Is the public beta stable for productivity tasks?
A: It’s more stable than developer betas but may have bugs. Back up your device and consider using a secondary iPhone.
Q: Can I revert to iOS 18 if the beta affects my workflow?
A: Yes, but you’ll need to restore your iPhone using a computer and a pre-beta backup. Visit support.apple.com for guidance.
Q: When will iOS 26 officially launch?
A: Expect the final release in mid-September 2025, likely after the iPhone 17 event.
Q: How do I provide feedback on the beta?
A: Use the Feedback app to report bugs or suggest improvements, helping Apple enhance iOS 26’s productivity features.
Conclusion
The iOS 26 Public Beta revolutionizes iPhone productivity with its Liquid Glass design, Apple Intelligence tools, and ecosystem integration. From call transcription to AI-driven task automation, it empowers you to work smarter. While beta testing carries risks like potential bugs, it offers a chance to shape the final release. Whether you test it now or wait for September, iOS 26 promises to transform your workflow. What’s your plan—dive into the beta’s productivity features or await the official launch?
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